Welcome to our 7th annual Christmas Roundtable! 2022 has seen the world start to change and go back to normal for people around the world. BareBones Ent sat down with a bunch of bands and musicians to talk about Christmas and hopefully spread some cheer. We had so many entries so we are breaking this in to 2 parts this year! Here’s looking forward to 2023 and more amazing music!
Rundown Kreeps (Richard Lamas) (Facebook/Insta)
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
RL: My favorite thing about the holidays is easily spending time with family and friends. That and the cold weather.
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
RL: It’s hard to narrow it down to one memory. As I get older I realize that those carefree holiday seasons as a kid were one of a kind. I have vivid memories of watching VH1 reruns of the best things to happen in each decade while eating molletes.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
RL: My favorite Christmas movie is Four Christmases; with an honorable mention to the classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. I watch both every year during the holiday season.
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
RL: Jesus, so that I can turn water into wine and have that free 1up. Either that or Father Time.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
RL: It’s a three-way tie between Elvis’ “Blue Christmas”, the Cookin Soul X MF Doom track “MF GRINCH”, and the Vandals’ “Nothing’s Going To Ruin My Holiday”.
Bacon Is My Podcast (Facebook/Insta)
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
Mike: I think when I was younger, the holiday season was about like… being off from school for a nice long stretch and becoming an adult it really took that away from me for a long time. But since having kids, it really changed my perspective on it. But I love their reaction to the “magic” of the holidays. It really lights me up and brings a lot of joy to my family’s holidays.
Jimmy G: Getting to see my family. We all live in different parts of the country so the holidays are the only time we’re all together. I look forward to getting in the car with my dog and driving to Indiana every year.
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
Mike: Man, it’s so hard. Haha. A really fun one was a few years back my wife Jen and I (or “Santa”) got a giant dollhouse for my daughter. The thing stands almost 4-1/2 foot high and I remember cursing at it for like…3 plus hours on Christmas Eve putting it together. I kept saying to myself “never again.” Well, come Christmas morning, my daughter opened her gifts and we told her that one more was waiting in the basement for her…Her reaction was priceless. Made those pain-staking hours putting it together totally worth it.
Jimmy G: My family has a tradition where we have a party on Christmas Eve where all our friends are welcome. This has been going on for years and I have some friends that have made it part of their tradition to be there. It doesn’t matter the age gap or if it’s my friends or my brothers’ or parents’ friends we all get together, eat, drink, play music, and just hang out. It’s gotten a little smaller over the years but those are always some of my favorite Christmas memories.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Mike: I truly cannot answer with just one…I can’t. But there’s a big 5 for me… A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, the original Grinch cartoon (is that a movie?), Elf and Muppets Christmas Carol. If I haven’t watched all five between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day it hasn’t been Christmas.
Jimmy G: This is tough, my “favorites” change all the time, right now I’m thinking it’s Elf, but the Grinch with Jim Carry is up there too, as is the original Grinch, oh and Scrooged with Bill Murray, and Bad Santa, Christmas Vacation, damn this is hard haha I have to at least watch Elf and the Grinch for it to feel like Christmas so I suppose it’s a tie with those.
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
Mike: Oh wow…Clark Griswold. For sure. He’s such a goofy but really awesome Dad. His heart is in the right place but at the same time…He can become unhinged and get crazy with a chainsaw. You know?
Jimmy G: The Ghost of Christmas yet to be. It seems like a fun gig and you can change some Scrooges.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
Mike: I’m a Chipmunks Christmas album guy. For sure. But Weezer put out a great EP in the past, love me some of the Dragged Under “This Holiday.” That was a lot of fun. But maybe “Christmas Don’t Be Late.”
Jimmy G: Father Christmas by the Kinks (fun fact, my band Craving Strange released a cover of it a couple of years ago that was recorded and edited by none other than Mike Wahmann himself) I’ll also say that new one “I don’t know what Christmas is but Christmas is here” from the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is pretty great and deserves a mention.
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
NR: My favourite thing about the holiday season is family time. How it brings us all together and during this time everyone is the best version of themselves.
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
NR: I don’t really have a specific favourite memory. But as a child my parents did so much to make Christmas feel magical. The house and Christmas tree would be normal the night before, but on Christmas morning everything was lit up and the fireplace was always sparked
with presents under the trees. That feeling of walking down the stairs to see the glow of the lights really made things special and as I grew up I really appreciated the efforts my parents put into that.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
NR: my favourite Christmas movie isn’t technically a Christmas film…. But it’s Nightmare before Christmas I just loved the animations as a kid and the music was written so well. Still watch it everyone holiday season
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
NR: Jack Skeleton
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
NR: “The little Drummer Boy”. When I was a kid I played drums and my Nanny would sing it at me all the time
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
44Blonde: My favorite thing about the holiday season is the quality time I get to spend back at home with my friends and family.
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
44Blonde: The best holiday memory I have would probably have to be each year on Christmas Eve seeing lit up candles as everyone sings “Silent Night” in harmony.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
44Blonde: My favorite Christmas movie would probably have to be Elf.
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
44Blonde: The Grinch, for absolutely no reason.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
44Blonde: Anything sung by Michael Buble or Bing Crosby
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
EW: I love the weather! It’s so sunny and hot! Perfect season for beach and iced coffee!
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
EW: Christmas Day spent down by the beach with the family. Playing guitar, opening presents and then having a swim to cool off! My family are heavily involved in our local Lifesaving club, so one of my Uncle’s would always do a Christmas Day Patrol before joining us for Chrissy lunch
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
EW: The Nightmare Before Christmas… obviously! Hahaha
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
EW: I would be Zero from Nightmare Before Christmas. Just floating all over town, being the goodest boi.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
EW: “Spirit in the Sky” by Normal Greenbaum OR “X-M@S” by Corey Taylor haha
Sic Waiting (Jared Stinson) (Facebook/Insta)
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
JS: I’m a sucker for the holidays. I buy in, on purpose and all the way. I love the decorations and the chaos, but I think my favorite thing is everyone having the valid excuse to forget about the stressors and hardships that exist the rest of the year and just partying and enjoying the company. And that’s a choice, the same as being a Scrooge is a choice.
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
JS: I did a Drunks Go Acoustic tour some years ago with Matt Salkeld, Daniel and Anthony from Lowbrow/Sic Waiting, and Brock Frabbiele. It was basically a holiday party every night, in every city, that we crashed and played. Hands down the most fun I’ve ever had on tour.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
JS: Christmas Vacation, of course. I also love Krampus. I have a whole list of holiday movies we watch every year.
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
JS: Mr. Green from The Night Before. He’s an odd man out who’s actually behind the best Christmas party of the year every year, as well as a wise weirdo. I guess it’s more of an aspiration.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
JS: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” Cancel me, it’s a great song. Also, Lowbrow’s Indecisive Christmas Medley (https://lowbrow.bandcamp.com/track/lowbrows-indecisive-christmas-medley)
Moxy The Band (Facebook/Insta)
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
Amber: Gathering with the ones I love most, and reminiscing about all the times we’ve shared in the past
Dryw: The characteristic anticipation of the season, the colors, and excuse for celebration. Growing up, Christmas was the holiday my folks would go all-out for. I love it.
Michael: Holidays have traditionally been kinda hard as I hardly have any family, but I’ve had a lot of really great friends take me into their festivities. In recent years I’ve learned to make all the holiday food myself so that I can give the gift of it to my father, sister, and Amber and that makes me happy
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
Amber: Visiting my Gran each year, running through the orchards next to her house, picking mistletoe from the tree in the yard, learning chess from my cousin.
Dryw: I have many dear memories, but like a lot of kids in 1997, getting a Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64 was absolute peak hype. I will never forget that.
Michael: One time I got Pokemon blue AND gold. Epic haul.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Amber: 2000’s Grinch with Jim Carrey
Dryw: It was a family tradition to watch It’s a Wonderful Life every Christmas season, so that one wins for me.
Michael: Home Alone or if Eyes Wide Shut counts… then that.
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
Amber: Baby grinch, because he’s adorable and loves Martha May Whovier with grit and passion!
Dryw: Probably Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in Jungle All The Way. Because he goes to great lengths to show his son that he loves him.
Michael: Kevin McCallister. For the trust fund.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
Amber: Santa Baby by Eartha Kit
Dryw: I’ve always loved the melodies and chords to “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “O Holy Night”
Michael: Silent Night by Lisa Hannigan
BBE: What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
Nick Valero: My favorite thing about the holiday season is getting to spend quality time with friends and family, it’s always an opportunity to reconnect with the people in your life you might not get to see that often and there’s always a comfortable and nostalgic feeling that comes with the holidays.
BBE: What is the best holiday memory you have?
Joey Valero: I don’t really have a “best” holiday memory, but every year getting to hang out with my brother and cousins and just making each other laugh are memories I’ll always look back on and smile at.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Dan Avellino: Elf
BBE: If you could be any holiday character who would it be and why?
Nick Valero: 100 percent the Grinch. I would die for an opportunity to be in the exact makeup and costume that they did with Jim Carey.
BBE: What is your favorite Christmas song?
Devon Dijon: My favorite Christmas song is corny but honestly “All I Want For Christmas” by Mariah Carey. It just reminds me of when I was a kid doing Christmas stuff with my brother and my mom.
